An Exciting New Form Of Anxiety!

I don’t even know what to say about my bloggy absence the last few weeks. Oh, I’ve shown up a handful of times, but I will be the first to confess that I’m way off my bloggy game. And I could rattle off all the reasons – which pretty much look like everybody else’s reasons why they are struggling with such-and-such during the so-and-so – but the two biggest factors are that work has been all manner of lively and, um, I have never known the very particular brand of stress that comes from trying to write a book during the holiday season.

Y’all. The new book is the most fun when I really get to sit down and concentrate and talk to the words and let the words talk back to me (I know that sounds crazy, but if the shoe fits, etc.). The problem right now is time. Because yes, there’s work. And there’s also the errands and the cooking and the whathaveyou. And there’s also a ten year-old in this house who has decided that nothing is more fun than throwing the football over and over again in the afternoons, and if you think I’m passing up that opportunity then you’re probably relatively new to these parts so I should just say, Hi. Welcome to my blog. I am just a little bit crazy about college football – to the point that you might feel concerned for me at times. A few days ago, in fact, I told Melanie that I was completely unprepared for the ways that A.’s interest in football would delight me, not to mention that I have apparently stored up a significant (and perhaps disturbing) amount of knowledge about the technical side of football over the last 20 years of watching Game Day, most SEC games, and SportsCenter.

No kidding. Yesterday afternoon these words came out of my mouth: “Listen. I can’t stress this enough. If you have your arm up that high when you’re throwing the ball, a defender will knock it straight to the ground.”

When I told Melanie about it, she laughed and then said, “Well, that’s true. And be sure to remind him that nobody has ever figured out how to defend a wheel route.”

See? We really are two peas in a pod.

Anyway, the football has been a bright spot (except when A. tackled our neighbor, B.) (B.’s a girl) (she got him back later by grabbing his leg when he was trying to score and forcing him into a near split), but the writing time has been slim, and I’m starting to feel the strain of that a little bit. Plus, until today the weather here has been damp and gray and drizzle-y, and for me that’s pretty much a recipe for wearing nothing but yoga pants and over-analyzing everything and embracing the melancholy, so to speak. It’s all fun and games for a couple of days, but by day three I’m not much fun to be around and also there may be some crying because I HAVE ALL THE FEELINGS.

But today the sun came out, so this afternoon I found a place where it hit the pavement and I just stood there and squinted my eyes and begged it to stick around for a few days. We will see, I reckon. And I’m going to try my best to get some writing done over the next four or five days because I think some forward progress will do my heart some good.

So. That’s what’s going on here. I hope y’all are having a great week. And I hope you know that I am mighty grateful for your patience with the reliably unreliable content right now. It’ll get better soon, I think. Or at least I hope.

Y’all be sweet.

Love,
Coach Taylor

(Really, I still just want to be Tami Taylor.)

(But I may have to get myself a shirt that says “Coach” for when we’re playing outside in the afternoons.)

Comments

Oh, I am so with you. I am supposed to be writing a book that is the result of a successful Kickstarter campaign (aaack the pressure, nothing like a book deal contract but still people have ALL THE EXPECTATIONS) and the errands and do your household chores talk to you? The laundry, the dishes, the random piles of messiness? Then I get writer’s block and can’t blog or write the book or even a coherent email. AND ALL THE FEELINGS, oh my. We are twinsies from across the country. That is quite a bold and forward suggestion but I feel it is true, cause over here in Oregon if it hasn’t been rainy it’s been COLD. OK, now I’m writing like we actually know each other and you care about the weather here. My apologies, and my blessings on your forward progress!

Dear sweet Boo Mama – Can I get an aMEN on that one?! I am all about “embracing the melancholy” (best phrase of my day) these days myself. I am up here in Booty Freezeland, MN, where we are HOPING to hit 0 degrees for our high tomorrow. With wind chills around 30 below. And my recently widowed mother is going to be driving in for a visit tomorrow, to stay at my house, which is several giant steps away from what one might call “company ready.” So, I’m feeling your pain. Lots of self-inflicted wounds of missed opportunities in the time-well-spent category. Most of them I’m not feeling too badly about, but I really probably should have gotten after the doggy hair tumbleweeds before now. Goodnight, and thank you for the much-needed laugh. LOVE your writing!

Oh Halleluyer! I’m not the only one who’s behind. I went to New York over Thanksgiving with my mom and two sisters-in-law (my FIRST ever trip and LORDY was it FUN!!), and needless to say I didn’t get my usual jump on the Christmas shopping and house decorating. Now, I had two, count them, TWO full weekends before Thanksgiving with NOTHING to do, but did I use that time wisely?….uh, let me just say, NO. But today, I’m feeling a little less overwhelmed, as the sun is shining (Thank you LORD!), most of the laundry is done, and the house is 75% decorated, which may be all that happens this year…. Oh, and my cleaning lady comes TOMORROW (squelching the need to break into song here)! Shopping online is a great thing because I just realized I’m a little further along than I thought I was….yay! Have a great day!!!

Melancholy feelings. I hear you. I was born on a Wednesday and according to a popular rhyme “Wednesday’s child is full of woe”. Although, I doubt all people born on a Wednesday are a fried to woe and I would dare say that those born on other days have had it knocking at their door a time or two, but still. I get it. My sister says I have always been melancholy. But what does she know she was born 7 years later than me, so she really can’t speak to the first years. I’m not really a big football fan, but I loved Friday Night Lights and I used to attend all the high school football games when my husband was a band director and I was the flag corp and cheer-leading coach. So, can we still be friends?

You are just as cute as always! Hang in there Boo Mama (or Coach Mama) should we say?
I will pray that you will have some sun whether it be inside or out or both!

I noticed that I was having a really hard time starting with my journal collaging (I do it to keep my sanity) and it has been sitting in a corner buried for a few weeks. Well, God woke me up at 5:00 am last weekend (I wasn’t very specific in my prayer) and I “went to work” on setting up a little space with coffee and the space heater and all my boxes of scraps. (Oh, and my Bible of course) and I was able to get into a wonderful pace and felt refreshed and renewed by 9am. Wishing this for you too!!

Thank you, I needed to know that I’m not the only one whose child has a football glued to their hands or feet! Got the biggest chuckle about the tackle. I can so relate for 2 reasons. The first was during one of the practices my son was so proud that he tackled one of his team mates so hard he cried. I wasn’t sure if I should be proud or appalled. The other is one of the teams we played against this year had a girl on the team. It was interesting to say the least.

Okay… so, when you say “…wearing nothing but yoga pants….” did you literally mean “wearing NOTHING but yoga pants?” Because that was a funny image! Haha. Just kidding you. I’m sure you had on a top too!

Can i just say that I love you??? You made me feel so much better about the craziness that is this season. I had a full blown melt-down yesterday. The Christmas melt down of 2013. It is usually a monthly thing:) Anyway, I am feeling much better today. Gave it all over to the Lord and told Him I CANNOT do anything without His help. I think its a good place to be…I’m not sure why it takes me FOREVER to get there. Anyway, take all the time you need!

YES!!!!! Can we please, please, PLEASE talk about Scandal!!!!!?????? Ya’ll – it is SERIOUSLY freaking me out!!!!! I’m a wimp – I just want sweet love scenes between Fritz and Olivia – like the Vermont interlude!!! Huck is making me sleep with one eye open!!!!!!!

You inspire me- to choose that which is better. Time is so fleeting, huh?– football with your son and these amazing tips from his Mama can only come once in the moment, and then they’re gone. Books… will work themselves out in time :) Thank you for reminding me that we only get this life once- and certain moments are worth fighting for!

Bless it! I hate it when I get overwhelmed by all the feelings. Sunshine sure does help! And I love the football situation! I can only imagine how exciting that must be. My sweet boy is only 7 and has just started getting excited about baseball (my personal favorite) and football (my close-second). And I know NOTHING about football, but I get so proud when he throws that beautiful spiral. You’re doing much better than I am, Coach BooMama. My husband grew up in a Mississippi-State-through-and-through household with a high school football coach for a father, so I generally just try to defer to him on all things sports. Because while I love excitedly supporting a football team, all I know about football strategery is that going to a Prevent Defense is pretty much always a bad idea.